Tunnel and method of constructing same.



G. W. JACKSON.

TUNNEL AND METHOD 0F GONSTRUGTING SAME.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1012.

Patented Feb. 24, 1914.

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G. W. JACKSON.

TUNNEL AND METHOD 0F CONSTRUGTING SAME.

APPLIOATION FILED 111111110, 1912.

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ITED STATES PATENT onirica.A

GEORGE W. JACKSON, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TUNNEL AND METHOD OF GONSTRUCTING SAME.

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To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE W. JACKSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tunnels and Methods of Constructing Same; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a novel tunnel construction and to a method of constructing tunnels beneath waterways, such as rivers, and the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The object of the invention is to construct a tunnel at or near the level of the river bed without the use of cofferdams, and without interfering with the navigation of a navigable stream. f

A tunnel embodying my invention embraces as a part thereof a blanket of concrete or like material that is formed at the level of the river bed and constitutes the roof of the tunnel, and made of a depth to support the load of the body of water above, combined with concrete or like side and bottom Walls, which may be made in the form of a tube or of other desired cross section. The said concrete blanket may be reinforced to strengthen the roof of the completed tunnel and also to sustain the blanket during the construction of the tunnel. The said reinforced blanket may be sustained during the construction of the tunnel by connection thereof with sheet piling driven at the sides of the proposed tunnel before the blanket is laid, and the reinforcing elements of the blanket may be further sustained by piles driven into the earth intermediate the sheet piling. Y

In constructing a tunnel in accordance with my novel method two rows of sheet piling, either of metal or wood construction, are driven parallel to each other across the river or other body of water and on lines slightly outside the final or finished side lines of the tunnel. The piling is driven to a depth below the floor line of the proposed tunnel, and extends at the upper end thereof somewhat above. the river bed `and above the blanket which is laid on the bottom of Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 10, 1912.

Patented Feb. 24, 1914.

serial No. 702,878.

the bed. Thereafter a layer of concrete or like material is spread upon the river bed, of a suitable thickness to sustain the load above when the tunnel is finished. The said blanket may be reinforced by metal reinforcing elements arranged and embedded in the blanket in any suit-able manner. The said reinforcing elements may be placed across and between the sheet piling after the latter is driven in such manner that said elements are supported by the piling. These reinforcing elements are placed in their proper relation to the piling by divers. In some instances the river bed is dredged to clear away the slimy material of the bed before the concrete blanket is placed thereon. After the piling has been driven and the concrete blanket has been placed, and reinforced if desired, the earth beneath the blanket and between the rows of piling is excavated in continuance of a previously formed land tunnel, the earth being removed through the land tunnel. `After the excavation has been completed, the bore of the tunnel is finished by the application to the earth walls of concrete or like material to constitute the walls of the bore or bores of the tunnel; the concrete wall material being formed by the use of suitable centers in a well known way.

If desired, I may drive intermediate the sheet piling at the sides of the proposed tunnel, rows of piles of a height to sustain the reinforced blanket during the excavation of the tunnel, and said piles may remain to support the blanket after the complet-ion of the tunnel. If the intermediate piles are not required to sustain the blanket, roof of the tunnel, they may be out away below or at the level of the iioor of the tunnel to aid in supporting the walls of the tunnel as a whole.

In the drawings ;-Figure 1 is a cross section through a river channel and showing a tunnel beneath the same in longitudinal section made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross section of a completedsingle bore tunnel. Fig. 3 is a cross section of the excavated area between two rows of piling, with theblanket above, showing a modification. Fig. 4 is a crosssection of a com- Y.

As shown in the drawings,

Y roof of the tunnel and the load sustaining wall thereof.

16,16 designate two rows of piling which kare driven across the river bed, parallel with each other, and to a depth below the proposed floor of the tunnel. They extend at their upper ends above the blanket.

17, 17 (Figs. 1 and 2) designate the metal reinforcing elements of the blanket, which, as shown in said figures, consist of rods that extend between and through the upper ends of the piling and are provided at their screwthreaded ends exterior to the piling with the nuts.

If desired, when excavating the area between the piling and below the blanket,

brackets or ledges 19 may be attached to the' piling just beneath the blanket to assist in sustaining the blanket on the piling during the construction of the tunnel, and also to constitute a permanent connection between the blanket and the piling in the completed tunnel wall.

The blanket reinforcement may consist of fabricated beamsor girders 2O of latticed construction, such as are shown in Figs. 3, l and 5, each of which may be arranged to occupy the principal part of the depth or thickness of the blanket. Said reinforcements may be spaced at any suitable distance apart, as shown in Fig. 5, and may be supported at their ends by the brackets 19. VThey may be additionally or independently supported by the piles 21 which are driven into the ground between the side piling 16 with their upper ends at a level to support the reinforcing elements or girders. Said intermediate piles 21 may constitute a per- Y manent support for the blanket in the tunnel structure, in which event they will be driven, and the intermediate piles '21, 21,

if employed, are driven. Thereafter the reinforcing elements, as the rods 17, or the fabricated girders 20, are placed between the sheet piling, this work being done by divers. rIhereafter the concrete blanket is laid on the river bed, the bed being usually prepared by dredging away the soft or slimy upper surface thereof, before the reinforcing elements are placed. The concrete mixture to form the blanket may be lowered down upon the river bed either by the use of directing tubes or conduits, or by means of dumping buckets which may be lowered into the river. After the blanket is placed and has hardened, the earth is excavated between the rows of piling 16 and beneath the blanket. Thereafter the material to constitute the walls 25 is placed by the use of suitable forms or centers, in a well known manner.

If desired, the blanket may be given an arched form, and the metal reinforcing elements may be likewise placed to correspond with the arched cross section of the blanket.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that the tunnel may be constructed closely adjacent to a river bottom without the necessity of building cofferdams, or without interfering with navigation on a navigable stream. The blanket constitutes a strong durable roof for the tunnel, and well adapted to support the load of the water above, both when excavating the earth beneath the same aud as the tunnel roof after the tunnel is completed.

The intermediate piles 21 assist in sustaining the reinforced blanket (they heilig located beneath the reinforcing elements thereof) when the earth is being excavated from beneath the same, and they also serve to support the roof of the completed tunnel. If they be not required to support the roof of the complete tunnel, they may be cut away at or below the floor level of the tunnel, before the concrete forming material is placed so as to assist in supporting the tunnel walls as a whole.

It will, of course, be understood that the tunnel may be constructed with any desired number of bores,either arranged side by side, as shown in Fig. 4, or otherwise.

I claim as my invention 1. tunnel beneath a river or like body of water comprising a concrete blanket placed at the river bed and constituting the sustaining roof of the tunnel, reinforcing elements extending transversely through the blanket, piles driven into the ground laterally exterior to the bore of the tunnel and directly engaging `the reinforcing elements to support the blanket structure, and side and bottom walls surrounding the tunnel bore.

2. A tunnel beneath a river or like body of water comprising a metallic reinforced concrete blanket placed at the river bed and constituting the sustaining roof of the tunnel, piling driven into the ground laterally exterior to the tunnel bore and provided with brackets for supporting the blanket and side and bottom walls surrounding the tunnel bore.

8. A tunnel beneath a river or like body of water comprising a concrete blanket placed at the river bed and constituting the sustaining roof of the tunnel, side and bottom walls surrounding the tunnel bore, reinforcing elements embedded in a blanket and piles driven into the ground intermediate the planes of the sides of the blanket and directly supporting the reinforcing elements.

4l. The method of constructing a tunnel beneath a river or like body of water, which consists in driving sheet piling outside the side line of the tunnel to form continuoue` retaining walls, spreading a. blanket of concrete or like material on the river bed, eX- cavating the earth between the piling and beneath the blanket after the blanket has hardened, and thereafter forming the side walls and floor of the tunnel.

5. The method of constructing a tunnel beneath a river or like body of water, which consists of driving rows of piling, stretching reinforcing elements between and attaching them to the tops of the piling near the level of the river bed, laying a blanket of concrete or like material on the river bed with said reinforcing elements embedded therein, thereafter excavating the earth from between the piling and beneath the blanket, and finally forming the side and bottom walls of the tunnel.

6. The method of constructing a tunnel beneath a river or like body of water, which consists of driving rows of sheet piling outside the tunnel bore to form continuous retaining walls, laying a blanket of concrete or like material on the river bed and embedding reinforcing elements therein, thereafter excavating the earth from between the piling and beneath the blanket, supporting the reinforced blanket during the excavating operation, and inally forming the side and bottom walls of the tunnel.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aiiix my signature in the presence of tivo witnesses, this 3rd day of June, A. D. 1912.

GEORGE IV. JACKSON.

Witnesses:

Gr. E. DowLE, WILLIAM L. HALL.

Copies of this patent may ne obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, '.D. C. 

